First real chance falls to Stoke, who are moving the ball around with far more purpose than Sunderland.

Glen Johnson's flighted cross picks out Peter Crouch whose goal-bound header hits the shoulder of Donald Love and goes out for a corner.

The warning signs are there for Sunderland.

Cagey stuff by both teams. This game has yet to settle and we're still awaiting the first shot in anger as we approach 10 minutes. Stoke are just about ahead in terms of possession, while David Moyes will also have noticed that Peter Crouch has been allowed to win a couple of headers.

Clumsy challenge by Jason Denayer on Glenn Whelan allows Stoke, playing in their blue change strip, to whip a free-kick into the Sunderland area. Peter Crouch wins a header but the hosts are able to clear.  

Postpublished at 3 mins

3 mins

Sunderland 0-0 Stoke

Less than a minute on the clock when Charlie Adam concedes a free-kick after a crunching challenge on Jack Rodwell. The visitors are enjoying a decent amount of early possession but no shots by either side.

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Four weeks ago Sunderland were rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table - four points from safety. A win here could lift them out of the bottom three for the first time since August.

Time to rock and roll. Off we go...

Here come the teams. It's not a full house at the Stadium of Light but it's not a bad turn out considering the home team's struggles this season. 

BBC Radio 5 live

Former England and Everton defender Joleon Lescott, speaking on BBC Radio 5 live: "David Moyes is still finding his feet at Sunderland but he knows how to win games and not get beat. Jermain Defoe is one of the top three finishers. He guarantees goals. If David can get some stability at the back, he knows Jermain will score.

Sunderland manager David Moyes: "I watched Stoke play recently and they're a good team. They have a very stable club and they're trying to move up every year.

"January can be a month which defines a season and a couple of wins for us can make it look a lot healthier."

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Stoke City manager Mark Hughes on last weekend's FA Cup defeat at Wolves: "I fully expect us to show a response at Sunderland, although I acknowledge the difficulties facing us.

"There are frustrations within our building because of what happened last weekend. The guys are desperate to put those wrongs right."

How long before Saido Berahino is wearing a Stoke City shirt? Not long, if Mark Hughes gets his way.

The West Brom striker's contract expires in the summer but Hughes is hoping to secure Berahino's signature before the January transfer window closes.

"We are interested in him, as a number of other clubs are," said Hughes. "I am hopeful we will be able to get something done."

Image source, Rex Features

Jermaine Jenas
Former England midfielder on BBC Radio 5 live

If Sunderland sell Jermain Defoe then they might as well walk out of the Premier League now.

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Once again, Sunderland's hopes rest with Jermain Defoe.

Without Defoe's 11 Premier League goals, Sunderland would be six points worse off - leaving them marooned at the bottom, seven points from safety.

Match-winning efforts against Bournemouth and Leicester turned draws into victories, while both goals in last week's 2-2 draw against Liverpool and a late equaliser at Southampton earned potentially precious draws.

Can Sunderland afford to lose Defoe in the January transfer window? Read more here.

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Guy Mowbray
Match of the Day commentator

With home points key to Sunderland's survival hopes, it's another high pressure day on Wearside, even with the season only just into its second half.

To be fair, they've been earning them as best they can, despite almost constantly having effectively a full team unavailable.

Current Sunderland side of 'doubts, outs and aways': Pickford, McNair, Kone, Kirchhoff, Jones, Cattermole, Ndong, Pienaar, Khazri, Watmore, Anichebe (sub - Gooch)

Patrick van Aanholt starts for Sunderland after the Black Cats rejected a bid from Crystal Palace for the Netherlands defender .

Van Aanholt played under Palace boss Sam Allardyce last season, as he kept Sunderland up.

The 26-year-old left-back, capped six times by his country, is the Premier League's top goal-scoring defender over the past two seasons, with seven goals.

"I want to keep all my good players and build," said Sunderland boss David Moyes.

Read the full story here.

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Just the one change for Sunderland as John O'Shea comes back in to replace Javier Manquillo.

Sunderland XI: Mannone, Love, O’Shea, Djilobodji, van Aanholt, Denayer, Rodwell, Larsson, Borini, Januzaj, Defoe.  

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Stoke boss Mark Hughes makes three changes as Glenn Whelan, Charlie Adam and Joe Allen return to the side. Bojan, Giannelli Imbula and Ibrahim Afellay miss out. 

Stoke XI: Grant, Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters, Whelan, Adam, Shaqiri, Allen, Arnautovic, Crouch. 

Image source, .

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Sunderland fans have become accustomed to seeing their side in the bottom three yet it could be all change in the next few hours.

If Crystal Palace - managed by former Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce - fail to win at West Ham, and Sunderland beat Stoke, then the Eagles will drop into the relegation zone with 17 matches left.

Expect huge cheers at the Stadium of Light if news of a Hammers goal makes its way to Sunderland.

They've been anchored in the bottom three since August.

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Defeat after defeat after...

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But something is beginning to stir at Sunderland. Three wins and a battling draw in the last five home games have offered fans hope of avoiding relegation.

Beat Stoke and the Black Cats could be out of the relegation zone for the first time in five months.

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